EUROPEAN TOUR SILESIA OPEN: CHRIS WOOD has only two weeks to wait for his next major championship after coming so close to Open glory at Turnberry.
The 21-year-old from Bristol, who like Lee Westwood bogeyed the last hole to miss out on the play-off between Tom Watson and Stewart Cink by one shot, is up to 59th in the world. And that guarantees him a start in the US PGA Championship at Hazeltine in Minnesota, starting on August 13th.
Wood, who also has a US Masters debut to look forward to next April, had to pull out of last week’s SAS Masters in Sweden after injuring a wrist in the Turnberry rough, but he returns to action in the Czech Republic today. Fifth in the Open last year as an amateur, the 6ft 5in European Tour rookie is also in position now to represent Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe in the Vivendi Trophy – what used to be the Seve Trophy – in September.
If things stay as they are and everybody makes themselves available, Paul McGinley’s side would be Paul Casey, Westwood, Pádraig Harrington, Ian Poulter, Ross Fisher, Rory McIlroy, Oliver Wilson, Robert Rock, Nick Dougherty and Wood.
That is some turnaround for a player who prior to the British Open did not even qualify for a place in either of the French or Scottish Opens. Because Wood came through the qualifying school last November and has not won a tournament yet, he remains a Category 11 player even though he is 31st on the “Race To Dubai” money list. With a first prize of nearly €333,330 in this week’s Moravia Silesia Open presented by ALO Diamonds at the Prosper Resort in Celadna, he could move up as high as 12th on the rankings.
Course designer Miguel Angel Jimenez is the one member of last year’s Ryder Cup side in the field. This is the European Tour’s first visit to the Czech Republic for 12 years and the total purse was reduced from €2.4 million to €1.9 million last week to safeguard the tournament’s future.
The Lowdown
Course: Prosper Resort, Celadna, Czech Republic
Length: 7,155 yards
Prizemoney: €2 million (€333,330 to the winner)
Layout: Designed by Miguel Angel Jimenez and opened eight years ago this is the first time to hold a European Tour event. It is a hilly course with narrow tree-lined fairways with several water hazards and large rolling greens
Field: 156
On TV: Sky Sports 2 (10am to noon and 3pm to 5pm)
Weather forecast: Very changeable weather expected with sun, cloud and rain at times in temperatures of 24 degrees.
